Deadbolts may be provided in combination with doors to ensure a door can be locked. Some deadbolts may be provided near the bottom of the door, away from the handle. One such deadbolt is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,406. Such deadbolts use locking bolts that extend from a shoe of the door into a recess located in the floor adjacent the door to lock the door.
The deadbolt disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,406 requires a user to manipulate the deadbolt near the top or bottom of a door, which can be difficult for some users to operate. Further, deadbolts usually require a user to place the door in a closed position prior to moving the deadbolt into a locked position. When the user wishes to open the door, the user typically has to manually manipulate the deadbolt to an unlocked position prior to opening the door, and then also has to manually manipulate the deadbolt again to relock the door.
Users may often forget to relock a deadbolt after opening a door to leave a room or building. Such forgetfulness can expose residents to unwanted visitors that may gain access to a room or building through such an unlocked door. In some cases, the residents may be physically or financially harmed by such visitors.
A deadbolt is needed that is biased to a locked position so a user does not have to relock a door the user just exited. Preferably, the deadbolt is sized and configured so the door is automatically locked by the deadbolt after a user exits a room or building.